SirMadsen

"Stop Killing Games" is a consumer movement started to challenge the legality of publishers destroying video games they have sold to customers. An increasing number of video games are sold effectively as goods - with no stated expiration date - but designed to be completely unplayable as soon as support from the publisher ends. https://www.stopkillinggames.com/ Link to European Citizens' Initiative: https://eci.ec.europa.eu/045/public/#/screen/home Link to UK Government Petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702074/

According to discoveries in the APK file, Google Messages will get a feature that makes it easy to invite people to activate RCS. Messages will detect when the recipient does not have RCS and then show a dialog box with a shortcut to SMS an invitation. A message will then automatically be inserted asking if the person wants to try RCS, along with an associated link that explains what RCS is. Here in Sweden, it might have been more appropriate if the feature instead emailed all operators and urged them to start supporting RCS. Almost all Android users already have RCS enabled via Google Jibe. Apple did not want to use Jibe for RCS and instead relies on operators. If an iPhone user's operator does not support RCS, the old and insecure SMS applies to communication between iOS and Android when the built-in apps are used.

Can You Keep Playing Indiana Jones & The Great Circle After Beating It?Despite its focused story, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is rich with side content, from major quests to a surplus of collectibles. Although it's not an open-world experience, that amount of extra content can raise fears about failing to complete everything before reaching the conclusion. For those who want to reach 100% completion or simply see a lot of what the side quests have to offer, it's important to know if players can return once it's all done. One of the best things about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is that it encourages players to keep playing even after finishing the main story. Players aren't locked out of their progress after reaching the end and seeing the credits. Instead, the game takes the player back to just before the final battle, keeping all the upgrades and skills they earned up until that point. This lets players easily dive back into the game and revisit areas they've already explored. It's not a New Game+ option, but more like continuing from your saved game after seeing the end. Throughout the game, the Journal allows Indiana to revisit past areas while keeping his upgrades, providing a comprehensive way to take on remaining challenges after completion. This feature ensures that players can explore thoroughly and complete optional tasks whenever they want. There are no time limits on side quests or collectibles. Whether looking for rare Adventure Books to gain new skills, solving hidden Mysteries, or wrapping up unfinished tasks, the zones stay open and accessible. Finishing Up Side Content After Beating Indiana Jones & The Great CircleAfter finishing the main story in Indiana Jones & the Great Circle, players can still enjoy the game by finishing all the mysteries and fieldwork side quests. These are scattered throughout the game and involve solving puzzles, finding hidden secrets, and exploring new areas. It's better for players to take their time and be thoughtful rather than treating the game like an FPS. Completing these tasks helps players get extra lore and Adventure Points, which they can use to unlock new skills. This way of handling post-game content is helpful for those who want to finish the game to see how the story ends. It can feel like holding off on finishing the main story is a punishment for being thorough. There's a lot of content scattered around Indiana Jones & The Great Circle, which can take a while, so holding off on certain side missions can help keep the narrative momentum going. Ultimately, it's up to the player to decide when they want to do anything; canonically, it happens before the end of the game. It's a good idea to wait to go back, because going back to locations with new skills and a better understanding of the game makes previously tough challenges feel more manageable, especially on higher difficulty settings. The game rewards Indy for being thorough and observant, and that's easier to do when there's no pressure to complete the game. Essentially, completing the game doesn't have to be the end for Indy; it's just the beginning of a lot of little adventures in Indiana Jones & The Great Circle.

Jack Betts leaves behind a 67-year career with everything from spaghetti westerns to major Hollywood productions. Hollywood is mourning another legend. Jack Betts, the charismatic actor who charmed audiences in spaghetti westerns and later played a board member in “Spider-Man,” died Thursday at the age of 96 at his home in Los Osos, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Betts lived a life worthy of Hollywood. Under the stage name Hunt Powers, he appeared in about 15 Italian westerns between 1966 and 1973. This happened at the same time that Clint Eastwood was filming his iconic “Dollars” films on the nearby mountains. In Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” (2002), he delivered the icy line “You’re out, Norman” to Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn – just before the Green Goblin turned him into a skeleton in the Times Square attack. The versatile actor also graced soap operas such as “One Life to Live” and “General Hospital.” He also appeared in films such as “Batman Forever,” “Falling Down” and “Gods and Monsters.” His 67-year career spanned from his Broadway debut in 1953 to modern classics. Betts lived with “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Doris Roberts from the 1980s until her death in 2016. It was a friendship that spanned six decades, since they first met at The Actors Studio in 1954.

Game developer NetEase is primarily known for mobile games and as a helper for Blizzard in China (as well as for owning a number of pig farms as a side gig). Now they are going to enter the big gaming market with their first AAA game: “Blood Message”. The game is set in ancient China and follows a messenger on a dangerous journey through a country ravaged by rebellion. The adventure is linear, and will contain both action and exploration. “Blood Message” surprised many when the game was announced a little out of nowhere, without any big games fair or other presentation as a setting. “Blood Message” does not yet have a release date, but it will come to both PC and consoles when the time comes. Check out the trailer below: Blood Message Trailer

Swedish MovieZine has spoken to the developers behind the "Hitman" series and the upcoming Bond game "007 First Light", about what we can expect from their take on the iconic spy. “007 First Light” is a new Bond game by IO Interactive, known for its “Hitman” series. The game is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2 – and will be released sometime in 2026. Here we meet a young and inexperienced James Bond who is recruited by MI6 and gets to carry out his first missions. MovieZine has spoken to Jonathan Lacaille, who is the franchise director for the game at IO Interactive. 1. The developers really know the brandWhat are the most important elements that a Bond story needs? – When we started working on the game, we obviously looked at what makes a good Bond story. There are some elements that are found in all the films, which we took inspiration from to cook up the game’s recipe. – Exoticism, vehicles and gadgets are some things that always appear in a spy story. Another element is interesting and preferably double-sided characters. Villains and henchmen are also very important. I don't think there's a Bond film without them. – Then of course James Bond is at the center. We've seen different vintages, but I would say that the common thread through all Bond products is that they have always felt modern. Sean Connery was cutting edge for his time when the first film premiered both in terms of culturally, what products he used for the story and the themes they created. It was modern for his time, just like Daniel Craig was for our and now also Bond in the game. So the game takes place in the present? – Yes, or in the very near future, but I can't say an exact year. That's because it feels relevant within the time period we're releasing the game. 2. IO Interactive has already made fantastic spy games with the "Hitman" seriesWhen the game "Hitman 3" by IO Interactive was released in 2021, I wrote in my review that it "makes me feel like James Bond". I'm not alone in that opinion, says Jonathan Lacaille, who says the team has leveraged its strengths from that series during the development of "007 First Light." "We're leaning on what the studio does really well and have mastered the agent genre in the work on "Hitman" for a long time. It would be foolish not to lean on what we do best," he says. James Bond and “Hitman” are very different series, however. They have their similarities, but they are different characters who work in different ways. IO Interactive therefore needed to build some new muscles. – The action sequences and shooting are something we needed to get much better at. In the “Hitman” games, it usually means that you have failed when the guns come out. Then you have been discovered, it's over. In a Bond game, it is one of the tools you can choose to move on. 3. “007 First Light” offers great varietyOther new features are driving, which IO Interactive has never included in its previous games, but also gadgets. – We want the player to feel as smart as Bond. By that I mean that he sometimes ends up in a situation where the odds are against him. We want the player to identify different options – whether it is to take the main entrance and shoot wildly or sneak in through the back door. Something else that is quite unique to Bond is using his charm to get past obstacles. There is a rumor that actor Patrick Gibson will play Bond in “007 First Light”. He has played in “The Tudors”, “Shadow and Bone”, “Tolkien” and recently played the role of a young Dexter Morgan in “Dexter: Original Sin”. What can you say about that? – People are always speculating who will play Bond. Right now we want to focus on showing the game and presenting what it is about. We really want people to care about the game. Regarding the cast, I can only say that it is speculation, but we will confirm who will be involved later this summer. 4. A different James Bond we have never seen beforeHow much freedom have you had in developing this game? Is it a challenge to work with a franchise that does not belong to you? – We obviously have to respect the brand. There are guides and guidelines about what Bond is and is not, but they are not particularly restrictive. It is more of a tool that you can use and build on. Because we chose to do an origin story, everything has to be invented, so that way we have a lot of creative freedom. It's also a different medium. It's a game and not a movie, so that also gives a different kind of freedom. In “007 First Light,” James Bond is 26 years old and an inexperienced spy. He’s not based on any previous interpretation of the character, but a completely new one we’ve never seen in the movies before. – We based a lot of it on how he looks in the books by Ian Fleming. Someone at MGM mentioned that he has a scar on his face at some point, so we thought it would be fun to go with that because he’s never been portrayed that way before. They’ve seen such a huge library to dig into and get inspiration from to build this new story. What are your personal favorite Bond movies? – It’s changed over time. When I was little, Pierce Brosnan was great, but the movies with Daniel Craig were amazing because they really built on the character. He develops through the movies. I felt like I could watch them as a TV series. If I had to choose, I’d have a hard time choosing between Sean Connery and Daniel Craig. 5. The developers hope it will be as loved as “Goldeneye 007”What is your relationship with the game “Goldeneye 007” from 1997 for Nintendo 64, which is considered by many to be the best Bond game? – It’s probably the only one I’ve actually played. It was a fantastic game, there’s no denying that. It’s always the game that people refer to when talking about Bond games. I hope our game will get similar status. They’re two very different gaming experiences, but I think we have a very well-made game in the works that people will like for other reasons than “Goldeneye 007”. “007 First Light” will be released sometime in 2026. We’ll find out more about the game during the summer. Trailer

Adi Shankar is the producer who took “Castlevania” and “Devil May Cry” from games to animated TV series on Netflix. Now he has his sights set on a new franchise to adapt: “Duke Nukem”. In an interview with Esquire he says the following: – I have video games in the works. Obviously more “Devil May Cry”. I get offered various franchises from companies that want to work with me. I bought the rights to “Duke Nukem”. Not the game rights, but I bought it from Gearbox. He goes on to say that he doesn’t plan on taking orders from anyone when he adapts “Duke Nukem”: – It’s a middle finger to everyone. When “Duke Nukem” became big, a group of people tried to make it a brand, when all it is is a middle finger. “Duke Nukem” can’t be made by one company, because the moment a company makes “Duke Nukem” it’s no longer “Duke Nukem”. I'm not going to let anyone tell me what to do with it. Duke Nukem "Duke Nukem" is a series of action games that follows the character Duke Nukem in battle against various enemies. The original game, released in 1991, was a side-scrolling game for computers, but in recent years the series has evolved into full-fledged shooter games. That said, "Duke Nukem" hasn't released a new game since 2011, so one can wonder how relevant it is today. This is not the first time "Duke Nukem" has been in the news for an adaptation. In 2019, for example, there was talk of John Cena playing the lead role in a film, but so far it hasn't happened. Whether Adi Shankar's (probably animated) adaptation will see the light of day remains to be seen.

The controversial online game “Dark and Darker” will be removed from all players’ libraries on the Epic Games Store on November 1. In an email to players, Epic Games writes that the removal is due to a court order in South Korea, between the gaming company Nexon and “Dark and Darker” publisher Ironmace. Earlier in February 2025, a court in Seoul ruled that Ironmace had violated trade secrets by leaking internal information. Players can already no longer purchase “Dark and Darker’s” own currency, Redstone Shards, or upgrade to Legendary Status. Epic Games writes that anyone who purchased Legendary Status in the game will get their money back. However, no money will be refunded for Redstone Shards. Despite all its legal problems, “Dark and Darker” became a huge success in 2024. At the time of writing, it is still available to download via the gaming platform Steam.

A group of Chinese film studios are now planning to make AI remakes of over 100 classic martial arts films, Variety reports. According to China Film Foundation chairman Zhang Qilin, these films are “cinematic calling cards” that show China’s spirit and vitality to the world. AI will be used to improve the productions’ picture and sound quality, while the studios promise to preserve the authenticity of the originals. Among the titles are works by legends such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li – including “Fist of Fury,” “The Big Boss,” “Once Upon a Time in China,” and “Drunken Master.” When the AI versions will be released is still unclear.

DUNE: Awakening Rise from survival to greatness and challenge the power of an Imperium in Dune: Awakening, a multiplayer survival game on a massive scale. Survive the sandworm, craft your ornithopter, build a fortress, and ascend to power on an open world Arrakis shared with hundreds of other players. TLDRIt's a chore and a grind fest. REVIEWThe game-play is solid and the building mechanics are top tier. That's about it. Get ready for a lot of running and drinking. Yes, the water system is really bad in my opinion. The rate at which water drains is ridiculous and you end up always interrupting whatever you are doing to go get water in your base or hunting NPC's to get their blood. It's a choir rather than a fundamental mechanic. Also, hunger is apparently not a thing on Arrakis... There is also this weird mechanic with shielded doors where you have to find a random key just laying around in order to be able to go through the shield. It felt very misplaced and like a lazy way to limit players from entering certain areas (forced exploration). Either make it feel worth it or just skip the mechanic overall. The whole game feels like a big chore. You need hundreds of tools to farm hundreds of materials to build hundred components for one thing (a little exaggerated but you get it). It feels too complicated and it takes away from the game-play and survival aspect when you constantly have to go out farming materials just to keep the base alive. Speaking of base, I'm running one of each simple machines and I need FOUR GENERATORS! Again, I have to constantly run out and farm fuel cells. Why in the frakkin seven hells is there no such thing as a sun collector in the desert? There's obviously a wind turbine and RAIN collector in the desert where there's no rain or winds! There are many more minor things like this that just don't feel thought through, feels lazy and out of place, over-complicated and a chore rather than a task. I'm not gonna go into the poor mission (journey) system and how you have to hunt down class trainers, forced into PvP zones even though devs stated that PvP is optional etc. Because it's bad. Again, a frakkin chore. They claim it's a MMO yet there is no such thing as team work other than being a FOUR MAN PARTY(!). There is no mission sharing, no shareable map markers, nothing really aimed towards group play unless, again, you engage in PvP... Poor server structure and server system, repetitive missions and a lot of grinding. I would honestly wait for a sale and I am once again reminded why buying games early instead of waiting for reviews and game-play videos is a mistake. I'm pretty much done, spending hours and hours grinding materials just to have my base up and running and then not having time to actually play the game is not what I consider fun. Final Score: 2/5

Tiny Tina and Limbo are the free games on Epic Store for another day. You get some fun hours out of these two and save a pretty penny on Tina. Go grab'em now before they disappear.

A huge database of Steam user info is reportedly up for sale on the dark web, with one of Valve's service providers the potential source. Read the entire article here: https://www.pcgamesn.com/steam/data-breach-valve-service-provider

A huge database of Steam user info is reportedly up for sale on the dark web, with one of Valve's service providers the potential source. Read the entire article here: https://www.pcgamesn.com/steam/data-breach-valve-service-provider

The updated user agreement allows them to make a Nintendo device "permanently unusable". Next month, it is time for Switch 2 - Nintendo's next console, which is essentially a more powerful variant of their latest success. Prior to this, they have updated their user agreement and privacy policy, and one of the new points may probably be considered worth raising an eyebrow over. It is in the license section that Nintendo points out that one must not in any way circumvent, modify, decrypt, destroy or mix with Nintendo Account Services, and that Nintendo reserves the right to, among other things: "permanently make Nintendo Account Services and/or applicable. In other words, they "brick" a Nintendo console if they believe that the user has, for example, tinkered with the account service to be able to pirate or engage in anything else that Nintendo does not like. It is not uncommon that it is not possible to play with devices that have been tampered with, but making a console completely unusable is clearly a step further. It is unclear to what extent it will actually be used or whether it is even applicable to legislation in different parts of the world.